Recently, more and more students have been found skipping
classes, including Meeting for Worship, by hiding in the bathroom. As
a result, the bathroom is frequently overcrowded,
making it difficult for those with true needs to use
them. This situation has raised concerns among the

administration regarding class attendance and stu-
dents’ time management skills. To address this issue,

the WFS administration has proposed the “Bath-
room Timer for Better Growth” (BTBG) policy.

Under the new policy, every toilet stall door
will contain a little bluebird timer that monitors and

limits bathroom use. Each timer will include me-
chanical wings and an advanced recognition system

that matches students’ features to the school data-
base.

During school hours, students will be required to finish their

bathroom use within one minute and 30 seconds per visit, and af-
ter-school, a maximum of three minutes will be allowed. If a student

does not leave the stall within these time limits, the bluebird will activate,
and fly into the hallway, repeating the student’s name until reaching
Mrs. Miller’s office. In addition, the stall door will automatically open,
and remain open until the student leaves the restroom and returns to
class.

To reinforce this proposal, the administration is also consid-
ering adding over-five-minute-bathroom-users on the daily announce-
ments, in order to alert students about bathroom health and habits. The

Friday message will also include pictures of students standing with the
bluebird, to recognize those who follow the time limits well, as an effort
to encourage a sense of shared responsibility among students.
Dobson ‘28 is one of many students who have expressed positive
attitudes towards this policy. “Gosh, that will

actually be so helpful!” says Dobson. “The bath-
room could be very busy at some times. But

if we could put a time limit on each use, there
won’t be any unnecessary occupations, and the
room will be saved! Also, the idea of setting a
model bathroom user in the Friday message will
inform parents about what’s happening in the
school and better address the rules.”
Nora Abd El Kader ‘27 agrees. “I can’t wait
to actually meet this policy, so that every person
could have the same opportunity to be in the
bathroom!”

As a Quaker school, our ultimate goal is to promote kindness and

peace, fostering a culture of shared responsibility. By creating equal bath-
room access for all students, BTBG not only cultivates better bathroom

habits but also strengthens the sense of community in the school.
“Also the bird part is really impressive. The blue is the same as WFS’s
blue, so it reminds me of the overall community all the time,” says Abd El
Kader.